Patrick Hawes returns to disc on Signum with the premiere recording of his Lazarus Requiem, for Choir, Orchestra and Soloists. Blending the liturgical text of the Requiem Mass with the story of Lazarus from the New Testament, the composer blends a work in which "the mystery of life and death, the pain of grief and the hope of a risen life are held in taut symmetry". The work begins with an orchestral Elegy for Lazarus. This depicts the dying man and sets the scene for the first table where we are informed "a certain man was ill". Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, send for Jesus and the drama of the miracle unfolds. A former Classic-FM composer in residence, Patrick Hawes' compositions have a unique depth and sentiment that appeals to many different listeners.

American Record Guide, January/February 2013If you like this style, you'll be pleased with the Lazarus Requiem. If you don't like the style, or are sated for now by its ubiquity, you'll pass. I confess I do enjoy such music, especially when it's performed as well and recorded as gorgeously as it is here. I admire the tenor, Thomas Walker. There's honey in the voice; but he does a lot more with it than just roll his Rs and croon vapidly as so many of them do. There's a ring to the sound that makes him memorable. Texts, translations, notes, and pleasant photos await you in the booklet, should you decide to proceed.